SPEECH CENTER MOVES, ADDS PROGRAMS, GROUP

Lynn Van MatreCHICAGO TRIBUNE

The Center for Speech and Language Disorders, a non-profit speech therapy service, has completed its move to larger quarters and will launch two free programs this year.

The center, which has seen demand for its services increase sharply over the last four years, serves about 450 children and adults from DuPage County, Cook County and elsewhere. The center moved to 195 W. Spangler Ave. last month after operating for nearly 20 years out of a storefront on Spring Road.

"We were really packed in there," said Sally Bligh, one of the center's co-directors.

With additional space, the center has announced plans for a free speech and language evaluation program. Call 630-530-8551 to schedule an evaluation.

The center also will begin free monthly support group meetings for parents of children with language disorders. The first meeting, which will include an introduction to services available, will begin at 6:45 p.m. Monday and will last two hours.

Parents of children with autism, hyperlexia, social language difficulties or other language-learning disorders are invited to share their experiences and discuss school, family and parenting issues.

The center recently received a $10,000 grant from the Chicago-based Traders Foundation to help fund the occupational therapy program and it plans to seek a low-interest loan from the Elmhurst Economic Development Corp., Bligh said.

To show off the new, 7,000-square-foot building, the center has scheduled open houses on Feb. 24 and March 1.